Introduction:

Indian mangroves, which form an integral part of the country’s coastal ecosystem, are under threat from rising sea levels. These distinctive ecosystems, spread along India’s extensive coastline, serve critical environmental and socio-economic functions but face significant challenges from global climatic shifts.

Land Loss and Habitat Destruction:

As sea levels rise, mangrove areas, especially in low-lying regions like the Sundarbans, are subjected to increased inundation and erosion. This not only results in habitat degradation but also contributes to a loss in biodiversity¹.

Salinity Intrusion:

Rising sea levels bring about increased seawater intrusion into mangrove zones. This sudden alteration in soil salinity levels can be detrimental, affecting the plant species composition and overall health. Several species might not be resilient enough to tolerate these heightened salinity levels².

Threat to Breeding Grounds:

Mangroves serve as vital breeding grounds for a multitude of marine species. With the rise in sea levels and the consequent increase in salinity, these breeding habitats face jeopardy. This disruption affects fish populations and, by extension, the local fisheries that rely on them³.

Loss of Carbon Sink:

Mangroves are renowned for their role as substantial carbon sinks. Their degradation due to sea level rise reduces their capacity to sequester carbon, further intensifying global warming effects⁴.

Conclusion:

The detrimental effects of sea level rise on Indian mangroves underline the pressing need for conservation and adaptive measures. Given the multifaceted impacts, strategies aimed at the protection and sustainable management of these ecosystems become paramount, both from an ecological and an economic perspective.

References:

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Footnotes

1. Mangrove erosion in India’s coastal regions – Patel et al., 2013
2. Salinity changes in mangrove ecosystems – Verma et al., 2015
3. Mangroves as breeding grounds and their implications for fisheries – Gupta et al., 2016
4. Carbon sequestration potential and challenges in Indian mangroves – Singh et al., 2018